Yu Yunique runs on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop, supports Cyanogen; Low-budget phone market contender to be sold exclusively on Snapdeal

By Staff Writer

Sep 09 2015, 05:38 AM EDT

Indian Yu Televentures rolled out the Yunique handset which runs on a customized Android 5.1.1 Lollipop, not the expected Cyanogen OS. In its affordable price of Rs. 4999, Yunique will be a new challenger in the low-budget phone market and it will be sold exclusively on Snapdeal.

Yu Televentures is a subsidiary brand of Micromax in India. It was the company behind the previous Yu units such as Yureka and Yuphoria. Now on its third budget phone, Yu Televentures plans to wow customers with Yunique's affordability and quality specifications.

Before the release, many assumed that Yunique will run on Cyanogen OS according to The American Bazaar. Instead, the low-cost unit came bundled with a customized version of Android 5.1.1 Lollipop though it can run Cyanogen OS 12.1. Some under the hood features include a 64-bit 1.2 quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 processor and a 2000 mAh battery that can last up to seven hours. It depends on an Adreno 306 GPU for graphics.

The International Business Times reports that Yunique comes with an 8 MP main camera with f/2.0 aperture and a 2 MP front snapper. The rear camera features a Saturn ring design similar to Yuphoria. Its 4.7" HD (1280 x 720) display screen is protected by Coring Gorilla Glass 3.

In terms of connectivity, Yunique supports 4G LTE, WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, FM, microUSB 2.0, and GPS. It packs in a 1 GB RAM and 8 up to 32 GB internal memory expandable via SD card.

Yu Yunique's selling price of Rs. 4999 may already be considered a bargain considering the device's quality built-in specs and features. It competes for market share with other low-cost phone manufacturers like Xiaomi, Huawei, and Motorola.

The Indian Express says that Yunique will be sold through the company's online partner, Snapdeal. Regarding this, Yu founder Rahul Sharma named price, product, and reach as the three major factors affecting a product's success in the market. He believes that Yunique's affordable price and powerful specifications partnered with Snapdeal's reach will attract more customers

Registration for the flash sale of Yunique is mandatory, and began yesterday September 8 until September 15 at 12 noon. Customers need to enter their email address to purchase their Yunique devices on the September 15 sale.